Educator To Talk About Changes In Middle Schools

SANFORD — From 10 to 14 years of age, kids undergo some of the most rapid physical and emotional growth of their lives, Lakeview Middle School Principal Rick Mossman said.

That's why the middle school years - sixth, seventh and eighth grades - are so challenging.

''They're not children and they're not adults,'' Mossman said. ''They're grasping and groping for who they are.

But those years also can be very rewarding for teachers and administrators, he said. While growing and changing, these students also are seeking role models to guide their path to adulthood.

''You can still shape and mold them,'' Mossman said. ''The middle school years - that's when they develop their attitudes and values. And these are the attitudes and values that are likely to stick with them as they grow into adults.''

To draw attention to middle school education in Seminole County and to give parents and teachers a look at the latest research in the area, the school district has invited a national expert on the topic to speak this week.

John Lounsbury, an educator, author and publisher of the monthly Middle School Journal, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Lake Mary High School auditorium. The free lecture is open to the public.

Lounsbury is co-author of two college textbooks: Modern Education for the Junior High Years and A Curriculum for the Middle School Years.

He will talk about the basics of middle school education and will discuss the latest research in the field, said Mossman, who is coordinating the event.

Seminole County has had middle schools for more than two decades but the School Board has focused renewed attention on them.

Middle schools, which group the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, differ from junior highs, which group seventh, eighth and ninth grades. And unlike junior highs, where students change teachers and classrooms at each period, middle schools often group students into ''academic houses.''

Each house has four classrooms and functions like a school within the school. Middle school students generally stay in that area during the school day and are better able to get to know their teachers and peers, educators say.

At this age, such a setting helps, educators say.

''When a child is changing so much physically, mentally and socially, we have to be concerned about these things,'' Mossman said. ''Yes, they're there to learn. But a good middle school is as much concerned about the student's mental health and well-being as the content area.''